Out of the figure, only about 2.7 million were admitted to higher institutions of learning, leaving about 5.8 million stranded.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH show that no fewer than 5,000 candidates who scored 300 and above in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination failed to gain admission over five academic sessions. Of the 8.5 million who sat the UTME, only about 2.7 million were admitted, leaving 5.8 million stranded.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board attributed the shortfall to factors including “wrong O’level subject combination, low post‑UTME screening score, non‑acceptance of admission offer, duplication of application, absence from post‑UTME screening, and mismatch of catchment.” Session‑by‑session data reveal persistent gaps: in 2020/21, 1.95 million sat while just 551,553 secured admission; in 2023/24, 1.64 million sat and only 639,263 were admitted.
Education experts have urged JAMB to “extend the validity of the UTME” to ease repeated exam fees, with Ayodamola Oluwatoyin noting that “the economic situation in the country isn’t smiling.” Meanwhile, Education Minister Tunji Alausa defended the CBT system’s integrity, stating, “What happened was not a reflection of the credibility of the CBT system or JAMB’s integrity.”